Yard
Sea Terms
A spar suspended horizontally to the forward side of a mast, and to which the head of a square-sail is bent. Yards also spread the foot of the sail next above. They are hoisted by halliards, turned by braces, and supported by lifts. The middle of the yard is called the slings, the ends of the yard the yard-arms, and between the slings and yard-arms the quarters. Lower yards are hung in a truss, and the upper yards confined to the mast by parrels. There are lower-yards, topsail-yards, topgallant-yards, royal-yards, and skysail-yards. (See Double Topsails, Double Topgallants.)
